FOUR New People’s Army (NPA) rebels have surrendered to military authorities in the provinces of North Cotabato and Surigao del Sur, officials said Monday, October 21.
Lieutenant Colonel Ezra Balagtey, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesperson, said the four NPA rebels surrendered separately on Saturday, October 19.
Balagtey said one of the four, alias Ka Tonton, a squad leader, surrendered around 9:30 a.m. to village officials of Perez, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato.
The military officer said Tonton, a Manobo from Antipas, North Cotabato, handed over an M-16 Armalite rifle with ammunition and was turned over to the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion for custodial debriefing and assessment.
On the same day, three other NPA surrenderers submitted to the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Battalion in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur.
They were identified only as Ka Kakar, 34, former squad leader; Ka Elmo, 37, former team leader; and Ka Rosa, 38, former supply officer.
Balagtey said they have surrendered through the help of some villages officials.
He said they handed over an M4 Bushmaster Carbine rifle. The three former rebels were placed under custodial debriefing and assessment.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Felimon Santos Jr., Eastmincom chief, called on to different stakeholders to facilitate the surrender of the NPA rebels to go back to the folds of the law.
“While our troops are busy in the conduct of combat operations to run against the hardcore members who continue to embrace the violent culture of the CTG (Communist Terrorist Group), we appreciate the effort of our stakeholders particularly the LGUs (Local Government Units) and BLGUs (Barangay Local Government Units) who are reaching out in behalf of the whole government to those who wanted to surrender,” Santos said.
“We ask therefore to continue with your noble endeavor and hand-in-hand let us end this insurgency once and for all,” he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)